We may be too easily labelling pre-peri-menopause/aging, but really have it all wrong.
Lowering progesterone, inflammatory oestrogen, and inflammatory cytokines often become provocateurs of a series of problems.
Metabolic hormones respond with…
– increasing cholesterol,
– increasing blood pressure,
– increasing TSH, and
– increasing fasting glucose.
They are like the ‘protective’ armer your body is putting up to defend the underling problem.
Today, I want to really the scene and walk you through the changes your body is making and what the signals (aka symptoms) your body is sending may mean to you.
First, let’s Set the Scene
Oestrogen affects the provocation and phase of allergic reaction which promotes allergies, immune system activation, and increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines. High recurring oestrogen is most common between 40 and 52 years of age.
At this same time, progesterone is lowering by 50%. (Progesterone is a calming hormone.) And pro-inflammatory cytokines increase between 40 and 50, whilst healing cytokines decrease.
Now from 50-53, oestrogen starts to decrease and this is normally when the previous ten year cycle activates the immune system and causes mast cell activation. Women start having a myriad of symptoms.
Thyroid Hormone Protection steps in…
The HPA Axis is rattled quite a bit after 40, just due to the increasing cytokines and cyclically inflammatory oestrogen.
If stress adds up, like a job loss, family loss, divorce, moving house, renovating house, family challenges – these adrenal triggers tend to kick off what many women like to say is “early menopause”. Many often report going into menopause between 46 and 52 (which is early – textbook is 55.)
The hypothalamus and pituitary glands are both like light switches for the thyroid gland which is responsible for increasing or decreasing T4 (thyroxine).
But TSH levels (thyroid stimulating hormone which come from the pituitary gland) that measure under 4.0 are not considered dangerous enough to merit a diagnosis or medication (even though symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism often start around 3.0).
Unfortunately this rattling time gets a kind of “wet blanket” put on it with the use of progestins (synthetic progesterone), an IUD, or merina. But the underlying disturbance still is bubbling away.
Women are told to eat less, and exercise more.
But suffer from weight gain, low energy, muscle aches, breathlessness, a general low feeling, and low motivation (or poor libido). Even when they have a good diet and are pushing themselves to exercise.
Metabolic responses start as early as 38 in patients with a previous menstrual dysfunction, like infertility, PCOS, endometriosis and adenomyosis. Nearly 75% of these women are eventually diagnosed with a thyroid condition (either hyperthyroid OR hypothyroid).
You can see how the thyroid hormones are affected due to these changes – often getting masked as being “pre-menopausal” or “peri-menopausal”. But really serving as a point of protection to let you know that something isn’t quite right.
This is the early “puff” or stubborn weight, fluid, and bloating that kicks in the 40s.
And the low motivation that makes women want to stay in bed rather than feel that “get up and go” they had before the thyroid hormones got knocked around.
Mast Cell Activation switches on
In 2007, for the first time ever, a new diagnosis was made called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. This is a very young diagnosis, still widely unrecognised or even heard of.
Mast Cell Activation is confusing. Many women go to three or four doctors and end up with three or four potential or actual diagnosis, but still don’t get a real resolution.
It effects your:
- lungs
- gi tract
- immune system
- blood vessels (increased varicose veins)
Women start having big changes. And the most seismic changes in this body recalibration is between 50 years of age and 57 years of age.
This is when the mast cell activation activates histamines and
histamine producing bacteria.
Mast cells sit in the lymphatic tissues under the skin and are activated by… you guessed it – CYTOKINES!
The high histamines create symptoms like:
- itching eyes, nose, ears, or skin (often shoulders and shins)
- food intolerances (feel like weird things set you off and not always the same thing)
- catching lots of colds and flus
- Hayfever – headaches and/or migraines
- sensitive immune responses
Mast cell activation create symptoms like:
- increase in varicose veins
- rashes, bumps or spots on the skin
- redness and hot flushes
- joint pain and inflammation
- muscle pain
- fainting or light headed when you stand up
- high heart rate
- swelling
- diarreohoea
You starting to follow me now?
I wish the question we would all start asking is, “Ok – this whole oestrogen and progrestone thing is totally normal. My body is built to go through this, so what’s really going on that’s making me feel this way? If I wasn’t {insert your age}, what would these symptoms mean?”
Dig from there and if you remove your age and the word menopause, there’s a good chance you’ll start finding some answers…
It’s not that you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
Rather, after this 10 year provocation of estrogen and inflammatory cytokines, you now enter the lowering of oestrogen (highly sensitive period) after having a long period of over-activation of the immune system. This activates mast cells.
This can activate sooner for some women and later for others – every woman’s body is different. This is just an age range we find most common.
The list of Mast Cell Activation symptoms mirror many of these are symptoms of “menopause”.
In the last three months, I’ve spoken to dozens of women in their 70s and 80s that clearly had this mast cell activation happen, but didn’t stop to address it, just jumped on medication, and now suffer from arthritis, high blood pressure, or have lifelong prescriptions.
Could this be the pattern interruption to stop the metabolic responses?
I think so.
Even if you have fully passed menopause or are in your 40s just starting your body recalibration, we really encourage you to look of your symptoms outside of your sex hormones.
Your thyroid hormones are very sensitive hormones that respond to stress and changes, so being mindful of supporting your thyroid and adrenal system is important to pay attention to, if you start to have symptoms arise early on.
Your metabolic hormones switch on as a form of protection.
Thyroid hormones signal that something isn’t right typically with the body (due to the oestrogen and progesterone changes). The first thyroid hormone that is affected is your Active Free T3 hormone, which isn’t measured in blood work – but generates the majority of the symptoms.
Insulin typically switches on as oestrogen lowers, when there is underlying inflammation in the body.
Four out of every Five patients that suffer from insulin resistance suffer because of inflammation driving the insulin resistance. NOT because of a diet. Most doctors assume that poor diet and lack of exercise are the causation of the insulin resistance, but that’s not the case the majority of time.
Insulin resistance and lowering oestrogen are the final stage of the body recalibration, which is why it’s so important to pay attention to your immune system and your symptoms. If there is pain, there’s typically a weight gain switch turning on or not switching off.
I share all this with you, because regardless of your age, this beautiful recalibration gives you insights into the underlying challenges within your body.
Most women that struggle peri-menopausally with things like fibroids, cysts, headaches, low iron, flooding, or needing surgery often have gut dysbiosis and/or nutrient malabsorption issues, which leads to these issues, even after surgical intervention or iron infusions.
How to test and address the underlying problem – regardless of your age?
Don’t beat yourself up if you are on the other side and taking medication. This information is so young and we learn more every day.
The good news is that it’s often inflammation that’s made a problem for you.
If you have a history of period problems, and now struggle with your weight, your digestion, bowel movements, joint pain or arthritis, or skin, there’s a good chance that something is still bubbling under the surface driven by gut dysbiosis.
Most insulin resistance is due to inflammation, so if you have noticed your blood glucose or HBA1C markers gently creeping up, you have a real opportunity to decrease your markers, have less pain, and lose weight, by addressing the underlying inflammation.
If you are taking medication for your thyroid, cholesterol, or blood pressure, we often find that by looking more closely at your metabolically Active Free T3 hormone, as well as your blood work, we are able to quickly help.
80% of the work we do is gentle, realistic, easy nutritional changes – more adjusting HOW you eat – not what you eat. These create big results, and reduce the inflammation and insulin.
20% of our work is helping restore your body with elements, minerals, bacteria, and nutrients that support your metabolic hormones, your immune system, and your filtration organs (like your liver, gallbladder) in addition to your digestive system.
We find within two months our patients are surprised to start feeling like themselves again. Most patients are symptom free and lose the weight within about six months.
If you would like to learn more about The Body ReCalibration between 35 and 67, you can watch the full presentation here: https://naturalhormonebalance.co/free-training-body-recalibration/
If you would like to learn more about Inflammation & Mast Cell Activation, we did a brand new presentation for you. You can watch it here: https://naturalhormonebalance.co/thank-you-inflammation-mast-cell-activation-metabolic/
If you’d like further assistance and would prefer to speak to us, we do offer a Free Introductory Consultation. You can organise that here: https://calendly.com/nz-naturopathy/intro-consult
I hope you have a lovely day. Thank you for your patience. I’m a little later than normal today.
We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Warmly,
Carrie
